Asked on CNN’s “State of the Union” about Saturday’s Des Moines Register poll showing him surging into second place in Iowa, the Texas congressman
and GOP presidential hopeful said the survey reflects that his positions
on economic and foreign policy issues have been “striking a chord with
the people.”

“Of course it is very encouraging because we’re getting pretty close
to it being within the margin of error,” Paul said. “So, I think we
continue to do what we’re doing. We’ve had the flavors of the month up
and down so far in this campaign. I’d like to think of myself as the
flavor of the decade.”

The Des Moines Register poll showed former House speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) taking first in Iowa
with 25 percent of likely Republican caucus goers. Paul took second with
18 percent, and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney (R) came in
third with 16 percent.

In the newspaper’s October poll, former Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman
Cain (R) and Romney were in a dead heat for first place with 23 and 22
percent, respectively. Paul took third with 12 percent, and Rep. Michele
Bachmann (R-Minn.) placed fourth with 8 percent.

Asked by CNN’s Candy Crowley about his electability in the general
election, Paul dismissed a recent survey showing that only four percent
of Republican voters viewed him as the candidate best poised to defeat
President Obama in November 2012.

“You know, I would say that if the people in Iowa wouldn’t consider
me a good option to beat Obama I wouldn’t be a close second in there,”
Paul said. “So, it is already reflecting a favorable rating for that.
But I think you point out -- maybe you’re giving me subtly some good
advice, ‘You better keep working.’ And that is what we have to convince
the primary voters that we can do a good job in the general and that, of
course, is part of the campaign.”

"The publishing operation was lucrative. A tax document from June 1993—wrapping up the year in which the Political Report had published the "welfare checks" comment on the L.A. riots—reported an annual income of $940,000 for Ron Paul & Associates, listing four employees in Texas (Paul's family and Rockwell) and seven more employees around the country. If Paul didn't know who was writing his newsletters, he knew they were a crucial source of income and a successful tool for building his fundraising base for a political comeback."